The 1997 USISL A-League was an American Division II league run by the

United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues The United Soccer League (USL) is an organizer of various professional and amateur soccer leagues in the United States league system. It currently organizes its Championship, League One, and League Two for men, its Super League and W Leag ...

during the summer of 1997.

Overview

At the end of the 1996 A-League season, the U.S. second division A-League collapsed. Six of the seven teams in the A-League then joined the

USISL The United States Interregional Soccer League (USISL) was a semi-professional men's outdoor soccer league that played six seasons from 1989 to 1994. It was the first outdoor league to be operated by the organization known today as the United ...

which had three leagues in 1996, beginning with the third division USISL Select League. With the collapse of the U.S. second division and the transfer of most of its teams to the USISL, the USISL reorganized its divisions to include the new teams. It moved most of the old second division USISL Select League, plus a few new teams, up to a second division level and merged the old A-League teams into this new U.S. second division which was renamed the USISL A-League.

Regular season

Northeast Division

Atlantic Division

Central Division

Pacific Division

Division Semi-finals

Northeast Semifinal 1

''Long Island advances to the Division final''

Northeast Semifinal 2

''Montreal advances to the Division final'' ----

Atlantic Semifinal 1

''Carolina advances to the Division final''

Atlantic Semifinal 2

''Hershey advances to the Division final'' ----

Central Semifinal 1

''New Orleans advances to the Division final''

Central Semifinal 2

''Milwaukee advances to the Division final'' ----

Pacific Semifinal 1

''Seattle advances to the Division final''

Pacific Semifinal 2

''Vancouver advances to the Division final''

Division Finals

Northeast Division final

Atlantic Division final

Central Division final

Pacific Division final

Conference finals

Eastern Conference

''The Carolina Dynamo advance.''

Western Conference

''The Milwaukee Rampage advance, winning two out of three games.''

Final

MVP:

Carmine Isacco Carmine Isacco (born September 20, 1970) is a Canadian soccer coach and retired player. He is currently the head coach for the York Lions varsity men's soccer team of the Ontario University Athletics, OUA. Playing career College years In 1989 ...

, Milwaukee Rampage

Points leaders

Honors

* MVP: Doug Miller * Leading goal scorer: Doug Miller * Leading goalkeeper: Dusty Hudock * Rookie of the Year:

Stern John Stern John (born 30 October 1976) is a Trinidadian football manager and former player who is currently managing Saint Lucia. He managed Anguilla from 2020 to 2022. He previously played for a number of American and English football clubs that inc ...

* Coach of the Year: Bob Lilley *First Team All League **Goalkeeper: Dusty Hudock **Defenders:

John Limniatis Ioannis "John" Limniatis (Greek: Ιωάννης "Τζον" Λημνιάτης; born 24 June 1967) is a retired professional soccer player who played as a midfielder. He captained and later became the head coach of the Montreal Impact. Born in ...

Scott Schweitzer Scott Schweitzer (born August 12, 1971) is an American soccer coach and former player. He spent two years as the head coach of Carolina RailHawks FC. College soccer Schweitzer was born in Rahway, New Jersey. He was a four-year letter winner at N ...

Mark Watson Mark Andrew Watson (born 13 February 1980) is an English comedian, novelist and producer. Early life Watson was born in Bristol to a Welsh people, Welsh mother and English father. He has younger twin sisters and a brother, Paul Watson (footba ...

, Travis Rinker **Midfielders: Yari Allnutt, Mauro Biello,

Garret Kusch Garret Andrew Kusch (born 26 September 1973) is a Canadian former soccer player who played at both professional and international levels as a striker. After retiring as a player, Kusch became a Chiropractor. Club career Born in Richmond, Brit ...

**Forwards: Mark Baena, Doug Miller,

*Second Team All League **Goalkeeper: Paolo Ceccarelli **Defenders:

Don Gramenz Don Gramenz is an American former professional soccer player who played as a defender for Minnesota Thunder for eleven seasons, being named to the club's Hall of Fame. Gramenz played collegiately at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where ...

, Robert Rosario, Bill Sedgewick, Dian Anguelov **Midfielders: John Smith, Nick DeSantis, Domenic Mobilio **Forwards: Steve Patterson, Darren Tilley,

Mike Gailey Mike Gailey is a retired American soccer player. He played professionally in the NPSL I, National Professional Soccer League and USISL. Youth In 1988, Gailey graduated from Grimsley High School. He attended the University of North Carolina Green ...

* Organization of the Year:

Rochester Raging Rhinos Rochester Rhinos, formerly known as the Rochester Raging Rhinos, was an American association football, soccer team based in Rochester, New York, United States. The club won the 1999 U.S. Open Cup, marking the only time a non-Major League Soccer ...

* Executive of the Year: Todd Smith,

Hershey Wildcats Hershey Wildcats were a professional soccer team, based in Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States, that played in the USL A-League between 1997 and 2001. The team was owned by Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company. The team played in Hershey ...

* Fair Play Award:

Colorado Foxes The Colorado Foxes were a professional men's soccer club originally based in Commerce City, Colorado, that played in the American Professional Soccer League (APSL) and USL A-League. Founded in 1990, the club moved to San Diego, California in ...

References

External links

A-League 1997 Season

{{DEFAULTSORT:A-League 1997 2 1997 in Canadian soccer

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...